CVTs are very interesting in all kinds of vehicles for their ability to continuously vary the speed ratio between the output of a prime mover and the wheels or other rotating parts of a vehicle.
However, some vehicular applications conventionally require a so-called torque converter between the prime mover and the wheels to a) prevent the prime mover from stalling when the wheels are prevented from rotating and b) increase the torque when the torque converter is slipping. These applications are generally not ideal candidates for continually variable transmissions since the advantages of the CVT are mitigated from the use of a torque converter.
There is therefore a need to provide a method and arrangement preventing the prime mover from stalling and multiplying the torque when the wheels are partially or totally prevented from rotating.